DIY...

Last week, Jen from IHeart Organizing linked up a few great DIY projects which did not cost a dime, basically because the readers had all of the items already on hand.

I was dreading for quite q while now with how the top of the toyshelf looked by now. In fact, we like to keep the kids books on there so they can grab them whenever they feel like reading. We wanted to lead them towards a little more independance and exactly that made the top shelf look like this...

Now that's not very pretty, is it?

So I logged off and thought with myself: If I had anything on hand to make it look better, I would do it now... Then I remembered I had just gotten a new box of powder to wash my laundry, and there was just enough left for a wash or two in the old one... So I just dropped the leftover powder into the new box. In fact I made sure that all of the leftover powder was out...

So this is how it started...

It was a little big, so I just cut it off, going by the biggest book I would put in there.

After that, I took some wrapping paper I already had on hand and wrapped the box up as good as I could. I do not have pictures available of this process, because I was getting sidetracked running after all these gaming cards that seem to accumulate at home. In fact they are supposed to be in the plastic box on the left side of the top self, along with some ither nic nacs. Now if I... Wait, I HAD...

Two small cereal boxes. The ones that include one serving and I like to buy for the kids so they can try out other sorts and brands of cereal without having to boy one big box...
I took a game card to see it it would fit and...

After some cutting and adjusting, I had gotten this...

I chose not to use the same wrapping paper again, but a sheet in a matching color. I also chose to cut out one of the fish from the wrapping paper, and glue it to the now colored boxes as well.
Now I was left with the nic nacs. Too good I had an empty soupcan from the night before's dinner. After washing it out and making sure it was dry, I chose yet another color of colored paper and wrapped it. Sticking the cereal box to the powder box was an easy one. The soup can was a little more challenging... But I made it... :)

First mission accomplished. The space looks more presentable now. I esp like that the plastic box with the cards and small games is gone. I need at least 2 more powder boxes to finish. It could take a while until the one I just started will be empty, so I asked around to make sure to get some as soon as possible. I am also looking for diaper boxes to turn them into personalized and colorful toyboxes (as seen on Pinterest). I hope you like what I did and check back soon to see the progress:)

My husband's new job

I am very excited to announce that next Monday, my husband will be starting his new job. He's worked as a gardener for quite a while now which allowed us to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables he could take home, however, his job never made him very happy. We knew right from the start that this job was a temporar solution. He could not work as a tailor altho he is an approved one. Somehow, male tailor are not very popular in this area. For over a year now, he took training classes to work as a welding operator. And now, finally, he got a job to owrk as one. However, it includes two days a week of additional training. He is excited and so am I. We're hoping to be able to spend more time together again when he comes home. Since the gardening job didn't make him happy, all he wanted when coming home was being left alone. I accepted it because afterall, he only took this job to be able to provide for us. I cannot say I need to forgive him, because I was never mad about it at first hand. I hope and pray, that once happy with his job, he will be excited to share more of his day when coming home, just the way it is like right now when he comes home from his training classes.

Honey, I also want to thank you. I thanked you each day in my heart, and every now and then verbally (I feel I should have told you more often, you probably needed a cheerlader), or with little gestures. You did what seemed right to you. You did a job you didn't enjoy, just for us, for your family, but you never gave up and finally get to do what you wanted for so long now. You are a great role model to our kids, showing them it's never to late to do what you enjoy, if you can't do plan A, there's always plan B, even if ittakes time. You're showing them yourself that learning and getting ahead is a life long process. I can only hope that they follow your footsteps! I love you!

Marriage and in-laws

First of all, I am back from my summer break:) I decided to join a challenge over at Time-Warp Wife. Please take a moment to check that wonderful site out.


Todays challenge is to invite your inlaws over or skype with them.. Well, I guess I have to do this my way... My father in law passed away in 1984 when my husband was only 10. My mother in law lives a 5 hour flight away from me, and never been on a computer.

In 2005 I was about to marry my husband and we decided that all things considered (esp the VERY big family of his side), the wedding should take place in Burkina Faso. It was also the very first time I was about to meet his family. I was nervous, and wanted them to like me. Before chosing a dress for the wedding, I even asked my now-husband what kind of dresses his mom likes because I would never ever have gotten married in a dress she'd dissaprove. I felt like I owned so much to this woman, Aminata Traore, since she had given life to my husband. On the other hand I heard so much about MIL's, they're witches, monsters, and whatever you want to name them, so I was convinced, that probably, I was just NOT supposed to like her because she was my MIL. I was in a twist there. So the day arrived. We hired a taxi from the house we rented and the driver took us to my MIL's house. My now-husband paid the driver, and got out of the car and so did I. I heard neighbours screaming, and saw a woman almost being hit by a car. Little did I know at that very moment that this woman was my MIL. She was talking to the neighbour living across the street and she was so excited to see her son again after 5 years that she completely forgot the traffic and just kept running towards him. After hugging and kissing him a few times, she also came and greeted me with a big hug. Then I knew that I could never bring myself to not like her. We were invited inside of the house, where I had the pleasure to meet my MIL's mom. We stayed for a while, and I was so nervous, I honestly do not remember a lot, only that the kind of perfume my MIL uses smells SO good. I saw her a few times more back there, memories are kind of blurry. I don't understand her language, and she does not speak or understand mine. Religion used to be a problem for her in the beginning, too.
Sometimes, I feel very bad that I only have one picture of her and me together. That I never got to meet my FIL. Sometimes, I wish she'd live closer, because I'd like to have her around a little more. She's scared of planes, and will probably never come over to see how we live, to see the kids school. Maybe one day? I hope so!!